Papa Jaune
by Gamerof1458
Summary: Jaune Arc finds a baby in the Emerald Forest and decides to take her in. Little does he know, it's going to be more trouble than just having to be the best father he can be after strange things start happening around him and just how are they connected to the baby? Based On Kegi Springfield's version, go read his first if you want a rough idea of the premise.
1. Chapter 1

Our story begins as we join one Jaune Arc in the middle of the Emerald Forest. The sun was a bright orange ball of fire in the sky and besides the usual normal sounds of nature, it was joined by the repeated noise of sword and shield.

Jaune Arc was doing his best to take what he was taught and make sure it stuck. Between the lessons under Glynda Goodwitch and his late night sessions with his partner Pyrrha Nikos (NOT THAT WAY), he was steadily improving. Not enough to really last any longer than a minute in a fight against anyone other than team CRDL but much better than where he started as a teenager in over his head.

Still, out here, alone and sweating up a storm, he persisted. He wanted to get better, he wanted to stop being a burden to his team and his friends and be able to truly hold his own and call himself a hero.

If not for his last name than for the idealistic little boy he used to be.

Jaune gasped deeply, trying to refill his lungs with previous oxygen. The exercise he was doing wasn't hard or that engaging, it mostly had him drill some swings and bashes. He was told this would help get his body used to moving in combat and if anything, build some muscles from lifting and curling the metal he was carrying.

By the end of it, he had forced himself to work for a full six hours, stopping only to eat and drink some water. It was Saturday, his homework light and mostly done, and the day off giving him plenty of free time to practice. Normally he would have elected to stay inside the school grounds but today had been a particularly busy day where everyone had the same idea and thus the line for the combat arena was quite long.

He also didn't want to get roped into any sudden fights or challenges by anyone, something that had been happening quite frequently when he left. Granted he probably wasn't that big enough of a threat to anyone other than the aforementioned bullies.

The rest of his team and friends had also gone off and done other things, some going shopping, others seeking some personal time, and the rest just grouping together in the combat arena.

Pyrrha had offered to just train him fully during the day on their favorite rooftop but he declined, noticing how she had quite a horde of eager fighters who wanted to see if they could take a shot at the strongest warrior of their generation or just to measure how far they had to climb to get to her platform of high skill and combat expertise.

On one hand, he didn't want to get between the horde of rabid fans/fighters/crazed people and her, on the other one he didn't want to use any more of her time than necessary. He was already improving leaps and bounds and now that he was just drilling for core muscle strength, maybe he could start working towards doing some fancy flips and tricks like everyone else.

The tree that he had been using for the past hours bore his marks. Several cuts ate deep into the bark and several various bits also looked smashed in. Given one more hour, he would probably topple it over and have to go looking for another one that was just as sturdy.

Wiping away the sweat and taking a swig from his favorite water bottle, he grabbed his personal duffel bag and started to walk back to the Academy.

"Waaa!"

Jaune tensed, arm freezing at the right position that water started spilling out but didn't end up anywhere but on his pants.

"Ok Jaune…you're just tired and sweaty. You _didn't_ hear...whatever that was. It was probably just the wind or something…not-"

"Wouaaa!"

It was undeniable at that point. Jaune dropped his belongings and sprinted, trying to locate the sound of the cry. The tone and sound so reminiscent of his little sister, his inner big brother instinct kicked in and he was ready to pull a dynamic entry and kick whatever ass was causing such distress.

And find it he did.

The Alpha Beowulf stood at an imposing height with its black furry body and bone spikes dotting his arms. The white mask and soulless red eyes gave away nothing as it towered over…a basket?

"Waaa!"

THAT HAD A BABY IN IT!

Jaune didn't think, he reacted. Whatever gut instinct he had told him to follow through on his momentum and tackle the ever loving crap out of that beast and pummel it to death in a fit of blind rage.

Thankfully, his inner warrior kicked his inner rage down the metaphorical stairs in his body and told him instead to capitalize on his surprise attack advantage.

Which he proceeded to do so in spectacular fashion.

The Alpha had one second to turn its head and notice the young teenage warrior before he barreled into him. The two beings went tumbling over with Jaune ending up on top and drawing his sword in one swift motion, immediately hacking and slashing the head until he was positive there wasn't going to be anything left to move and hurt anything.

A whimper cut through the haze, his mind clearing as he stopped in his vicious work to stare at the source. The basket had been barely moved when he impacted the monster and it thankfully looked like the contents had stayed safe.

As the creature of Grimm dissipated, Jaune took small steps and peered inside.

It was…a baby girl. She had light brown hair, puffy little pinchable cheeks, and an adorable face with a tiny little nose. Blue eyes of the ocean met shining blue of the sky. Wait…were those…?

"Aauh?" The baby said as she lifted her tiny little hands up towards his face.

Recognizing the universal sign of uppsy daisy, he gently reached forward and picked up the little girl from the basket. The girl squirmed a tiny bit before relaxing and a smile blossomed on her face before she gave a tiny giggle. Jaune couldn't stop staring at two critical features, though. She had a rather prominent fluffy tail and little ears, the way it was shaped alluded to a squirrel in nature.

"I don't think I could love you any more than right now," Jaune said in an honest voice, "You…are too cute."

"Mmmh!"

Jaune blinked before matching her smile, "What are you doing out here?"

"Babuu?"

"Yeah, should have expected that," Jaune deadpanned, making the girl giggle, "Maybe this should shed some…more…light."

Jaune felt his mood dip as he examined the basket. Besides the slightly coarse cloth that had acted like a blanket, there was a ripped piece of parchment that displayed a few words. The most blatant and telling ones were the big bolded ' **PLEASE TAKE ME'** while underneath it was a smaller font that said 'My name is Makoto'.

Jaune grimaced, recognizing what the words meant.

Sometimes, human couples could give birth to a Faunus child. It wasn't that common but in the rare cases, it did happen, the parents more often than not abandoned the child. Some to the orphanage where they never knew who their parents were or in this case…

"Who on Remnant could ever think of leaving someone as cute as you alone?"

"Waauh."

Jaune noted the droopy look the baby had adopted and felt his heart crack. He couldn't tell exactly how old the little girl was but from the way she seemed to understand his words, she was possibly old enough to comprehend what her birth parents had done. The teen felt his resolve harden, no longer able to sit idly by and already determined to one course of action.

It would be difficult and it would make things harder than they had to be. But one looks into those big doe eyes and seeing her little smile, he couldn't even begin to think about leaving her out here alone once again. Right now, he could at least make sure she would be safe and possibly nurtured, not…left alone like this.

"Well…I can't leave you out here by yourself. How about I take you back with me?"

The baby looked up with her eyes wide and Jaune could see a hopeful gleam shining in them.

"Dada?"

Jaune nearly dropped her in shock. Did she really? He stopped panicking and again once more steadied his beating heart.

"Well, if you want me to. Then I guess I'm your daddy, for now, Makoto," He punctuated this statement with a soothing gentle but firm hug, earning a giggle.

Yes, he may have made some poor decisions in his current lifetime but this…

He was pretty sure he wasn't going to regret this.

=P=A=P=A=

I hear the clang of plated boots on stone. The melancholy tone of steel joints. The soft whisper of a tattered cloak sweeping the floor. The figure moves to stand beside me, gauntleted hand resting on the pommel of a sheathed sword.

" ** _The child…she moves."_**

The voice is deep and harsh, the sound akin to grating metal. I do not flinch, I do not back away.

" ** _What is your wish?"_**

I stare into the abyss. The abyss stares back.

" ** _Very well."_**

As quickly as it came, the voice and its presence disappear. I let out a tiny gasp, the cold feeling nearly suffocating me and my lungs hungering for fresh air.

May Oum have mercy. May he have mercy on us all.

* * *

A/N: Sup. Yeah, it's me. Still alive and kicking, just busy as hell with college and such.

(Dodges cans of tomatoes thrown by the Immunity crowd) HEY! AT LEAST TAKE THEM OUT FIRST!

Yeah, yeah I understand you guys want to see more of that right now but it takes a toll on ya when you constantly try your best to write in one genre. It just makes things hard and I wanted a little break for a fresh taste. No homo. So yeah, here's another little experiment of a premise already inspired by fanart. Look up Kegi Springfield on here or Deviantart for the current story and adorable pictures available.

I'm looking to put my own twist on this and hopefully, it entertains just as well as Immunity does.


	2. Chapter 2

Getting back to Beacon had been quite an arduous task. Not because he didn't remember the way back and got lost or that he took a wrong turn and ended up going deeper into the forest instead. It wasn't even because he was tired from a long day of self-improvement and was forced to carry a duffle of supplies, his sword and shield, a basket with a baby in it, and his entire haggard and scrawny body up a cliff.

No, the most difficult part of getting back to Beacon was the fighting he had to do.

Yes, fighting. He wasn't sure if it was because he had some negative thoughts and was internally letting out some choice curse words towards the parents that abandoned such a sweet innocent young thing or if it was because his stress combined with his stench and lumbering movements was like a signal for the feast but they came.

They came and they hungered for both his flesh and hers. And even though his normal gut instinct was to drop everything else but Makoto and run screaming like a little girl up the rocky climb while defying gravity, he chose instead to let the cold warrior inside him loose and let it take over. It was like some voice inside his head was gripping his fear and smothering it while telling him to take command of his destiny and murder everything.

It was interesting, somehow knowing that some unknown feelings were driving his body forward and towards the Grimm with weapon in hand and baby protected. Whether it was some mysterious parental feeling that laid dormant now fueling his fury or if he just needed the proper motivation to become the warrior his bloodline always demanded he become, but Jaune took to fighting the Grimm like a squirrel took to nuts.

Or Nora to pancakes.

Or Ruby to cookies.

Or Blake to fish.

You know what, maybe his stomach was invading his thoughts too.

Either way, he went from struggling to slaughtering. The Beowulfs that howled and jumped at him were met with steel. The Alpha tried to blindside him but his aura took the hit and he gave one right back, only the soulless beast didn't have the benefit of a force field that stemmed from a soul. Even the Ursa Major that challenged his authority and stance as a protector of a little baby girl was met with fierce return fire, all of it ending with Jaune panting in a field amid Grimm ash slowly flying off into the wind.

"Da buh!"

And an energetic baby that apparently had some fascination with violence.

Makoto giggled up a storm, clapping her hands and making nonsensical noises as she waved her arms around as if to imitate her parental figure. It was both adorable and worrying as Jaune stared down at her while she moved with wonder in her eyes. It was hard to tell what exactly made her so active when not an hour ago she was at the mercy of one of the Grimm. Maybe as a baby she didn't have any complex emotions to mess with her psyche like an adult did?

Bah, Jaune groaned and just flicked his family sword clean before placing it back into its sheath. Learning to fight on the fly without his shield had been dangerous, moreso when he factored in that he was carrying Makoto in what was supposed to be his shield arm. Thankfully he apparently had enough sense to not bring up a nonexistent shield and foolishly use a baby for protection.

Maybe if he needed to distract or protect his face from an angry female he would make sure to have Makoto on arm but that was a tactic for later.

He couldn't just leave her behind in her basket either. Jaune needed her with him at all times just in case he got caught up and missed one Grimm that could get to her or she ended crawling out and into danger. No, better to have her close and within his personal bubble than unchecked. And if the price of making sure she was safe was an unhealthy but justified fascination with violence?

Well…Yang and Ruby technically grew up in a similar way and they turned out fine.

Mostly.

Kind of.

Jaune nearly tripped over his own two feet.

"Oh man…what is team RWBY going to think when they see me with you?! Wait, what will my team think?!"

A white fluffy thought bubble popped into existence above Jaune's head as he started to envision what introducing Makoto to his friends would entail. Ruby would probably be squealing and trying to hug Makoto hard enough to squeeze the baby into her chest. Yang would maybe revert to mother mode and start asking him all these questions about her health while playing with Makoto. Blake would be…indifferent maybe? She might react actually, seeing as Makoto was just so adorable that she would probably melt even the heart of Miss Goodwitch…that or Blake would just run away because Jaune just couldn't picture her dealing with this. Speaking of dealing…Weiss would probably be the most logical and try and make him give her up to the orphanage or to the teachers. Sure, she would be distracted for a little bit because Makoto was adorableness incarnate but Weiss would surely believe it would be best for Makoto and him to go their separate ways because a baby did not belong in a combat school.

Then his own team…oh man.

Well Nora would probably be predictable and just become energized mother nanny and try and do all sorts of crazy and possibly unsafe things with Makoto along for the ride. Whether or not he would end up running himself haggard chasing after the two and having to save both their lives would be dependent on whether Ren would have his back and be able to distract Nora long enough for him to snatch Makoto back. And while he knew that Ren would have his back in a fight in a heartbeat, it didn't change the fact that the man had a finely developed survival instinct built from years of being Nora's closest friend and when Nora decided to go big, you either went along or you ran for the hills.

…How would Pyrrha react?

Jaune mused to himself heavily. His partner was very supportive and kind, possibly one of the greatest friends he ever would make in his entire life time. How would she treat Makoto with him being the adopted father? Would she tell him to report it to Ozpin immediately for both their sakes? Would she keep his secret if he asked her to? As his partner and close friend, she swore that she would do whatever it took to bring out his great potential and help become the hero he so wished to be.

But would that mean she also wouldn't let him take care of Makoto?

As the cartoonish representations of his friends continued to dance around in his head, the chibi dream version of Makoto started to crawl away from everyone and into the edge of the fluffy cloud. Dream Jaune panicked and tried to pick her up but ended up tripping forward and crashing everyone into the side where the bubble popped.

"Papa!"

Jaune shook his head and looked down at the bundle of joy in his arms. Makoto stared back up at him with a curious look on her face. The little girl had one of the strings of his hoodie clenched in her tiny hand and she looked like she wanted to teeth on it but instead opted to try and get his attention. The two had a staring contest for a bit before Makoto broke off and started to paw at his chest.

"Papa."

"What's wrong sweetie?"

Makoto made a funny face at him before she pointed at her tummy.

"Ah. Ah."

Jaune blinked before he started to panic. As if to reinforce the thought, he could hear the tiny rumbling coming from Makoto before a displeased look came over her face and she started to wiggle in discomfort.

"Crud! Ok, don't worry! I'll get you some milk! Just…uh…um…"

Jaune couldn't just tell her to go to sleep like his mother used to, to avoid the problem because he wasn't sure he would even have milk by the time she woke back up. Makoto was starting to look more and more unhappy before Jaune decided to act, digging through his duffel and coming up with a small juice box. There was a small post-it with a smiley face on it and Jaune thanked his stars that Ren had seen fit to pack him his drink and Nora had added her own little touch.

Jaune popped it open with the straw and cradled Makoto carefully while he bought the drink to her mouth. The baby seemed to understand the complex contraption and started to suck greedily while her blonde papa fed her. Internally, Jaune couldn't help but turn into a pile of mushy feelings seeing his cute little baby with her cute little fangs feed herself.

"Ok, Mama Arc said babies aren't supposed to have juice before six months but judging by the development of your teeth…"

"Muuuu."

Jaune paused in his musings to see Makoto batting at one of the strings to his hoodie like it was a toy. He nearly melted into goo and forgot where he was to indulge in the utter adorableness that was a baby before he reminded himself that he was both a warrior in hostile territory and a man by biology if not action.

Bottom line, he shouldn't be going all gooey. That could come later in safety and in secret.

The teen decided that he needed to get moving now and hitched up everything before he started to ascend the cliff, doing his best to entertain the baby and distract her as he slowly but firmly made his way up to the top. Makoto seemed determined to hold his attention by grabbing and making noises and Jaune felt his mind start to war within itself between offering the baby squirrel proper care and actually getting done climbing the Oum damned cliff.

By the time, he finally completed the ascent, the sun had dipped and the light was disappearing fast. Thankfully the upper cliff area was relatively safer than the forest below so he didn't have to rush off. Makoto had fallen asleep against his chest and Jaune could only sigh before perking up and gently brushing her hair out of the way.

She was so peaceful and it was shocking just how someone could find the willpower to abandon her to the wilds. Not even an orphanage was acceptable, only straight to the forest she went.

"I really want to punch both of your parents in the face…unless they had good reason like dying which is why you were left alone."

Makoto mumbled something before trying to snuggle deeper. Jaune resisted the urge to take a hundred photos of her simply because he was afraid she would wake up and become agitated. He wouldn't want to take away her precious sleep and it made it easier this way to sneak back onto campus.

"Ok, if the rumor mill is to believed there are some secret spacious closets and hidden rooms that Headmaster Ozpin put in for the funnies. If I could just stake out and claim one of the places with lesser traffic, I could hide you in there until I figure out a long-term plan."

Makoto wiggled around, emitting small baby noises as she settled on one spot.

Jaune, while his attention was caught by the movement, noticed something else about his new little charge when the wind shifted.

"Oh geeze…ok new plan. Bath time first. I don't want to think about diapers or anything like that but if you smell that badly…"

Jaune took a few more brave experimental sniffs, "Actually, I'm probably due for one too. Better go to the gym showers. Too risky with the ones in our dorms…"

It was on this trek to the baths that Jaune mused about what he needed to do and supply if he wanted to be a good caretaker for Makoto. He would have to go beyond just diapers and milk, possibly tiny outfits and costumes, maybe some books to make sure she was learning…maybe even some supervised play dates in the parks in Vale or at a daycare.

"So much to do, so much lien needed…what am I going to do?"

Plans for the future and strategies for the present danced around his noggin until he realized that he had finally arrived at his destination. And in addition to that, realized one fatal flaw to his planned bath time.

The men's shower rooms were currently under renovation.

Nora, in a fit of sugar rush and excitable clamor, had accidentally busted through two walls and some major water pipes when slipping and sliding on a bar of dropped soap. Somehow, the hyperactive girl went fast enough and unconsciously through the application of aura had burst into the men's side right into the awaiting arms of her hapless friend Ren who looked for all intents and purposes like he was waiting his turn at the gallows.

Thankfully no major injuries were incurred and dignity was mostly preserved. While some boys and girls might have gotten an eyeful of each other, certain individuals took it upon themselves to exact swift revenge and keep everyone from saying too much about each other's body types. That and some of the boys apparently pulled out their scrolls and went to town like a paparazzi sniffing for their next big scandal.

Nora, in a two piece string bikini with little pictures of pancakes doting her top, herself had simply used her special brand of logic to dole out silence. _("I'm going to use an idiot to break another idiot's legs!"_ ). Yang, wearing only a tower that seemed to have melted into her skin, on the other hand went full self-righteous woman with the fury of a thousand burning suns and made various creative threats of immolation and castration. _("KNOCK KNOCK, PERVERTS, WHO ORDERED A BEATING?"_ ). Weiss, in a bathing suit for whatever reason, coldly pulled out her weapon from somewhere and just started to use dust. _("You took my innocence. NOW, GIVE ME YOURS!")_.

After all was said and done, Goodwitch came in and laid down the law. The boys were carted off to the infirmary, a big order for replacement scrolls was sent out, the violent girls got detention, Nora got one hundred hours of community service where she just went around being a living demolition charge and knocking down buildings scheduled for demolishing. Everything worked out in the end.

Sort of. The boys weren't the only ones gossiping about their fellow student's bodies.

If anything, Jaune felt a bit flustered when he overheard Yang give an appreciative recounting to her teammates and a blushing Pyrrha. He had come far from a scrawny little teenager to a well rounded and still body building man but he never had been the one to be compared to others, at least not in a positive light. So hearing someone as pretty as Yang of all people telling a play by play of how yummy he looked now, it was quite shocking.

It felt nice. Awkward, but nice.

Anyways, he was left with an obvious but dangerous choice. He would have to use the women's showers.

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Mighty Oum, full of awesome, blessed are you among the badass. Pray for me now, and at the hour of my death, which I hope isn't soon, Amen."

"Dabuh?"

"Hush, your dada is going to risk his limb and life for you now so you can be clean and be happy."

Sneaking into the showers wasn't as hard as he was making it to be and it wasn't that bad considering the late hour. At this time, most females would be retiring back to their dorms or hanging out with in other dorms of friends. No one wanted to exert any more energy or have to get filthy again and then take another shower so the probability of someone being in the communal gym showers was quite low.

And of course, being the first male to be given the privilege of feasting his eyes on the much better amenities afforded to the female population of the school, Jaune could only say one thing.

"This is unfair. Like, seriously unfair."

The female showers were without a doubt, luxurious. There were clean and big stalls that lined the walls where each one featured a unique shower curtain design with toiletries constantly refreshed. The main bathtub was big enough to fill a swimming pool and had multiple spots for either efficiency or recovery or even just plain spa treatment. It was mind boggling just how fancy the place was and when thinking of how average the men's shower room was, it was truly unfair.

They even had a fully stocked chilled drink mini fridge!

Sighing but unable to do anything, Jaune elected to stop wasting time on whining and more time on getting clean. Jaune made sure to undress quickly, his clothes landing in a heap atop his duffel. Makoto was wide awake now and when he quickly zipped her out of her jumpsuit, the baby giggled at the warm air tickling her bare body as Jaune carried her over to the showers.

Makoto had stars in her eyes and was seemingly fascinated by all the shiny and new things around her. Jaune was afraid she was going to crawl away when he wasn't looking and hurt herself but instead the baby remained sitting patiently for him when he left to get some soap and shampoo.

Makoto only reacted when he started to lather some soap over her tiny little body and while she squirmed, she remained sitting on the stool her found for her. Towering over her and making sure not to get suds in any sensitive areas like her eyes, Jaune was struck by just how tiny she was yet thankfully she seemed to be quite healthy. No signs of malnourishment or bruises or anything bad like that. He was happy, truly happy to see that Makoto was still a sweet innocent ball of fluff and wasn't afraid of him.

After the initial soaping and shampooing, Jaune grabbed a detachable nozzle head and started to gently spray the two of them off. Makoto continued to be a bundle of joy and waffle about while she tittered her little head off. Washing her hair and tail was a small challenge when she actually reacted enough to nearly fall off the stool but Jaune managed to catch her fast enough and finish the job.

In the end, both teen and baby were washed clean of all the grime and sweat and other dirty stuff of the outside world. Jaune, deciding he still had some time before his team started to call out the bloodhounds to find his scent, decided that Makoto could use a treat and took her in to take a dip in the bathtub.

The little baby girl shrieked in delight before she started to paddle about. Jaune nearly tripped in with surprise, not expecting what looked to be in his eyes a one year old baby swim quite easily without his assistance. Granted she seemed to tire quickly and he had to rescue her before she went under but as a parent, he was shocked to see something that most children didn't grasp until their double-digit years was done before him by someone who could barely reach up to his knees standing up.

"Makoto, you are just an amazing mystery baby aren't you?"

"Ah!" Makoto chirped back at him.

"Ha, man. I'm talking to a baby. Why do I expect an answer to anything?"

Still, Jaune was content to remain where he was. Makoto had stopped swimming around and instead settled atop his crossed legs as he sat near the edge. The father and adopted daughter pair both let out content sighs, enjoying the temperate water and letting whatever stress or tension wash away with the water.

That is, until his ears picked up the sound of a door being opened.

Jaune's eyes shot open in big open fear before he backflipped out of the tub and to his stuff. Makoto came sailing into his awaiting arms a second later, her mind not comprehending the sudden flight but still deriving enjoyment from it nonetheless.

Possibly setting a new record for getting dressed, dressing a baby, and then hiding a baby, Jaune had enough time to whisper a comforting word to Makoto's questioning look before he zipped her into his duffel bad.

He prayed that whoever was coming in didn't catch him before the door emitted a new person into the bathroom.

* * *

A/N: When finals kick your ass and you need two months to recover from the mental breakdown before going fetal position in the shower and crying about how you have no future.

Nah, just kidding. Finals did kick my ass though and I spent the time making sure I wasn't wasting money on a degree I was in danger of losing. In the end, I'm going to be fine, it's just real life time consuming and when you factor in having to deal with being an adult...yeah, not a lot of time to write.

Bah, enough doom and gloom. Here's the next installment. Hopefully it was funny and to your liking. So far, I seem to be pulling in another niche audience, hopefully the fanbase grows enough.

Not much else to say, thanks for reading! Don't be afraid to drop a review!


	3. Chapter 3

If Jaune was ever nervous about dealing with someone solely focusing all their attention on him, he would say that having someone like Blake zero in on him was probably up there with a big scary Grimm that could move really really fast and punch really really hard.

Blake Belladonna was quite a fetching beauty with her raven hair and glowing yellow eyes framed by a pretty face that just gave her an air of mysterious attractiveness. But if you were to think that was all to her, then you would be on the receiving end of a harsh ass kicking. There was more to Blake than just her looks, she was power and training rolled into one. To fight against Blake, you needed either overwhelming power, impenetrable defense, or just bribery.

Fish or smut books worked best but she also accepted small down payments of doing all her homework.

Some people learned the hard way, others just heard rumors and ran wild.

And right now, Blake Belladonna had all her attention focused on him.

"Jaune? What are you doing here?"

"Uh…hi! Fancy meeting you here, you know what lovely weather we're having and-"

"Jaune," Blake said with a threat implied in her tone as she seemed to reach for her weapon, "Why are you in the girl's shower room?"

With panic setting in at the danger in front of him, Jaune's brain stumbled over words before rebooting and trying to form a coherent sentence.

"Showering! I was showering!"

Blake paused before her eyes narrowed, "And why couldn't you just do this in the dorms?"

Jaune's voice adopted an almost hysterical tone as he tried to explain.

"Because I got locked out because I forgot my scroll like the klutz I am and I smelled really bad so I came here instead but then we both saw what Nora did so now I'm-umph."

He had only blinked and yet Blake had teleported from the doorway to placing a hand over his mouth.

"Ok…I guess I understand."

"Ah, thanks for you know, not killing me. And I know I should've been quicker but the bath just looked so nice and I've been so tired and I thought it would be a good idea and- "

"Stop. I get it. Just…leave if you're done. If any other girls catch you here, they'll probably be less lenient than me."

"Good point lemme just grab my bag and I'll just camp out my dorm until one of my teammates can open the door for me."

It was at that moment his bag rustled. To the average student, it was unnoticeable but Blake was not the average student. Her eyes immediately honed in on the rustling and her ears, the ones on top of her head, twitched as they could hear something moving. Jaune's wide panicked eyes caught the tail end of her bow moving before he realized where her gaze was and tried to block it.

"Jaune…did you put something in your bag that shouldn't be in there?"

The color drained from his face and he started to nervously stutter. Large beads of sweat spilled from his forehead and Jaune looked to be turning into a puddle of tension. In his unease, he had snatched up his duffel.

"Jaune…don't tell me you found an animal and kept it. It's already bad enough with that stupid mutt and I don't think school policy allows that."

Jaune hugged his bag close to his chest and just started to give an uneasy smile.

"Thanks for the advice! Lemme just go and release this thing back into the wild and then I'll just be on my merry way! Ha. Ha."

He didn't actually laugh, he said the words. Blake was giving him a mean look that was trying to cause him physical harm but she relented and stepped aside to let him through.

It was at this point that while the moving around stopped, there was a small cry that emitted from inside. Blake blinked rapidly before her eyes narrowed and Jaune audibly gulped.

"Jaune…what was that noise?"

"Noise? What noise? I didn't hear anything."

"It sounded like…"

Jaune fumbled the bag and had to catch it awkwardly in one arm as he reflexively blocked off Blake's attempt to reach for his bag. The girl's eyes turned deadly and Jaune started pondering the merits of running and hiding before going over the disadvantages. For one, she was superior to him in most categories so she would probably easily keep pace if not catch him. Two, she could probably just kick his butt right now before he touched the door. Three, Makoto could be caught in the crossfire and accidentally hurt.

Four-

"It sounded like a **baby**."

Oh, wait never mind she was going to try and hurt him.

Gambol Shroud whistled past his head when he ducked to dodge it as Blake backed up to make some room. He had enough time to roll to the side and try to crab walk back before the bladed weapon came back with the rope attached and tangled around his legs.

The sudden restriction of his movements caused him to pitch backward and land with a loud thud, his teeth clattering as the back of his head impacted against the shower room floor and the full weight of his duffel rained down with the force of a brick. Air was driven from his lungs and unable to untangle his legs, Jaune gave one last try to hide Makoto by curling his arms and body around it like a slug.

Blake appeared before his eyes and reached for the zipper. He tried to lean away with the bag from her but she had the superior ground and ultimately, he was caught.

Jaune closed his eyes in fear, apologizing to Makoto and praying to Oum he could somehow find a way out of this predicament.

"…There's nothing in here."

Jaune's eyes shot open and met with Blake's blank look. His head snapped down and stared into the depths of his duffel, finding no curious squirrel baby but instead just his clothes and other miscellanies things he bought along. His body let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding as he almost relaxed and opened his mouth to talk his way out of things.

Which, of course, everything went wrong and didn't work out like he intended.

"Kyaaah," A sweet and melodious giggle sounded off.

Jaune and Blake both turned their gazes to the noise, one with apprehension and fear and the other with curiosity. Perched on a little plastic stool, a baby girl with a squirrel tail and ears was happily playing with a shampoo bottle, flipping the cap off and on and letting out giggles as she gently squeezed and watched the white soap go in and out of the bottle.

Blake seemingly teleported over and bent down to eye level with the child, gaze taking in everything and surprise evident on her face. Makoto blinked and looked up at her with a curious look on her face before she presented the bottle at Blake and squeezed with all her might. Shampoo shot out and landed in strings all over Blake's face while Makoto giggled like crazy.

Jaune recovered just in time to catch the entire shenanigan and couldn't help but let out a snort before descending into chuckles. The sight before him was too comedic not to enjoy. Serious mysterious Blake, her face covered in shampoo and just staring down at a giggling squirrel baby who had a strand of soap on herself and was squeaking up a storm as she hugged a depleted bottle.

When his guffaws finally stopped and the weight of the situation returned, Jaune calmly walked over and picked up Makoto who relinquished her hold on the shampoo and snuggled into Jaune's arms. Blake wiped herself off with a towel and stared at him, eyes full of suspicion. Jaune himself looked back at her and just sighed.

"So…Blake, I would like you to meet Makoto," He said with a small smile and held the baby out to her who was staring inquisitively, "She's a squirrel baby Faunus I found in the Emerald forest."

It would take a herculean amount of will to ignore the outstretched baby's arms as she weaponized her cuteness to the max. Blake didn't realize she had taken and was holding the baby until she was firmly in her arms and pawing at one of her locks of hair.

"I believe it goes without saying that you should keep this and her a secret. Not that there's anything really that I could do to stop you but please don't report any of this. I'm serious, Blake."

The minutes ticked by before Blake spoke, "Makoto is a boy's name."

"I didn't pick it," Jaune stated bitterly, "She was all alone out there. In a tiny basket. For once, my luck worked out and I was in the right place at the right time. If I had decided to stay in Beacon or leave early…I don't think I would have found her and saved her."

"But her parents- "

"Abandoned her to the Grimm," He said flatly with narrow eyes, "If I ever meet them…"

Blake looked shaken at his venom before Makoto drew her attention. The little girl let out an adorable yawn before she curled up in her hold and closed her eyes while sucking her thumb. Blake's ears went into overdrive twitching and Jaune himself had to pinch himself before dissolving into a mess of cooing and fawning.

"So…what do you plan to do with her?"

"I plan to do my best and keep her around. I know Beacon isn't the best place to hide a baby, especially with someone like Nora running around, but I don't want to take her to the Vale Orphanage either. I heard bad rumors about that place and someone as young as her…well, some people don't have the heart to melt with cuteness."

"Why are you going this far? For some stranger's baby too?"

"Because I can. Because I don't care if she has two extra ears or a tail, she's a baby and she's innocent. I want to take care of her Blake, I want to be able to do the best I can for her. Even if that means dropping out and going home."

Blake regarded him with a blank stare as he kept his resolute face. Plan after plan and idea after idea swarmed his mind and it all surrounded the well-being of Makoto. He knew for a fact that the moment he found her, his own life was going to change. Not because it was some predetermined destiny but because of his inner moral code, something that his mother had enforced in all her children, made it impossible for him to even entertain the thought.

That and look at that adorable little face. You say no to that face and you get to go burn in the flames of Hell, that special fiery hot place where puppy kickers and making children cry and people who talked during movies get to look forward to after they shed their mortal coil.

What was he thinking about again?

"Thank you," Blake said with a small smile, "Not many others would be as willing as you to go this far. Especially for a Faunus. I just…thank you Jaune. It's great that the world has people like you."

He couldn't stop the blush from spreading over his face so instead, he elected to collect his things pack up. The clock was ticking down and nightfall was fully in effect. Any later and he ran the risk of starting the next day completely tired and that wasn't something he could afford to do.

"Well, thanks for holding her. I better head out soon. I need to scout out an empty classroom that can be used for hiding for a bit before thinking long-term plans."

But Blake wouldn't relinquish her hold, in fact, she turned away from his hands and seemed to hold Makoto possessively to her chest.

"Jaune, if you think I'm going to let you do this alone then you are mistaken."

His jaw dropped open.

"Bwah? B-but Blake, you don't have to do that! I'll be fine trust me!"

"I do trust you," Blake said with an even voice, "But that doesn't mean it would sit right if I stepped away now. So, come on, I know a place we can stay for the night. If things work out, we can also probably keep Makoto hidden there too."

Jaune could only stare gobsmacked as Blake sauntered out, holding his charge. He blinked rapidly before shutting his mouth with a click of teeth while grabbing his bag and hurrying after her.

=P=A=P=A=

The shadows around me seem to collapse in and surround my every escape. The feeling is claustrophobic and I nearly choke as I lose all sense of my environment.

" _ **Apologies, let me remedy this."**_

There is a flicker of flame from a tiny lighter before a small light burst into life. The encroaching suffocating darkness recoils and the shadows no longer seem menacing.

" _ **It is my understanding that my companion has left ahead of schedule?"**_

Words fail me as I try to regain precious air in my lungs.

" _ **Hmph. Just like him. Don't worry, I'll make sure he stays in line. Ta-ta for now."**_

The light snuffs out and I'm left alone once again.

Thankfully, the shadows remain where they are. Tremors work their way through my body as I try to remain composed.

* * *

A/N: Another chapter, another day.

Trying to balance school right now and doing my best to not fall behind. I'm doing my best to get another chapter of Immunity finished but first I got this and Emperor's Heri finished.

Right now, I'm just following the storyline of Kegi that he established while adding my little twist. In due time, I plan to take this a bit further and really throw things a bit out of whack with more than just 'Jaune meets baby'.

Well that's all for now, read, review, respond. Have a great day.


	4. Chapter 4

If anyone were to ask Jaune what he was doing, he would respond that he was barely following after Blake.

If asked about his state of being, he would say he was fatigued, damp from a shower, and carrying a heavy duffel.

If asked to elaborate, he would say that Blake was nearly ghosting away with a baby he found.

In fact, he would go so far as to say that he would never imagine such a situation would ever exist, let alone having to ever do it.

But here he was, briskly and slightly chasing after Blake while the nimble cat Faunus ninja seemed to glide down the hallway and into a secluded area. In any other circumstance, Jaune would also say that he was probably having a risqué dream after one too many late night 'entertainment' videos where his classmate was guiding him for a rather sensual meeting.

At least that's how most of those videos started.

The happily slumbering baby that Blake clutched to her chest like a lifeline dispelled any further thoughts on that matter. Honestly, he really should grab some sleep soon if his thought processors went straight to the gutter just because he was interacting with someone of the opposite sex at this time of night.

Eventually, Blake stopped in front of an ordinary wall and glanced left and right before giving him a pointed look, "This is one of my secret hideouts. If you tell anyone about this, I'll hurt you, understand?"

"Crystal," Jaune gulped as she started to tap a random pattern on the wall before a loud series of clanking noise was heard, "Just uh…promise me if anything happens, you'll take care of Makoto."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm just thinking. If we get caught, we might get in trouble. I'll take the fall for both of us and say something about how I blackmailed you into helping me. Worse comes to worse, they expel me but I can deal with it. It's just while they're busy dealing with me, I want you to get Makoto to somewhere safe until I can grab her and take her home."

Blake looked like she visibly recoiled as if he had swung at her, "Yo-you would go that far?"

"Further."

"But, what about your dream?"

"Dreams change," Jaune said resolutely as he gently placed his hand on top of Makoto's head, "You'll be a better Huntress than me anyways. If it means that I lose out but you two get a better opportunity, then I'll gladly take that chance."

"What about your team? Don't you think they'll have something to say about that?"

'They'll be fine. I believe in them. That, and I'm pretty sure when they see someone as cute as Makoto they'll understand why I did what I did."

The two shared a glance before a tiny smile broke out on her face, "I wish there are more people like you in the world. But stop trying to be some sort of martyr. You need to remember there's more than just yourself now."

Jaune only grinned like a loon when Makoto's tiny hand suddenly grasped his thumb and tugged it to her chest while murmuring.

"Trust me, I know."

The wall opened to reveal a rather spacious and homely room. There was a bed, a couch, a stove with some assorted kitchen appliances, a fridge, a tiny bathroom with only toilet and sink, and a corner filled with a shelf of books and a reading lamp in addition to the single fluorescent ceiling lights. Some papers and open cans were strewn about that Blake teleported around and cleaned up in the time it took him to blink.

"Uhh…"

"I wasn't expecting company, ok?" She said with a minor blush that was undermined by the glare, "Don't act like you wouldn't leave a mess if you knew it was only going to be yourself."

"I didn't say anything…"

"And you won't say anything. Now come on, help me baby proof the area."

Between the two of them, the work was light. There weren't any low hanging corners or sharp implements that needed to be removed and moving the mattress next to the couch insured a safe sleeping area for Makoto. Taking apart the frame of the bed also allowed them to jury rig a gate of sorts that should be able to stop any curious crawling baby from wandering off and injuring herself. The last thing to check for was any missed details like nails hanging loosely out of the wall or hidden holes that she could wander into.

Jaune managed to also spiffy up the place while he was looking around and by the end of it, any outsider wouldn't believe that the room they were standing in was a secret hidey hole in an academy that trained super powered hormonal teenagers to kill creatures of darkness and instead looked to be a fairly well kept personal motel room.

"I think I can say that this place looks just as good as it did in its prime."

"How would you know that?"

"I found this and various other secrets in a book in the library. Some of them are gone but the ones that remain date back to the founding of the academy. This room we're standing in was formerly a command center and an intimin- uh I mean an uh…a place for friends to hang out."

Ignoring the fact that he had seen a few papers and opened a box full of 'questionable' items that he trashed, Jaune elected not to press Blake on just what this little place was used for by past occupants and instead focused on the important things.

Like Makoto.

"She looks so peaceful," Jaune said softly as he stared at the baby he took in, "I'm so glad I could see something like this."

Blake blinked before she directed her attention to the child she was carrying and nearly devolved into some squeals. Makoto was sucking her thumb now and was curled into a ball. The content look on her face and her innocent sleeping position just made for a cute photo opportunity that neither awake occupant wanted to do for fear of disturbing her.

"Well, it's late and we should get ready for bed. We have to wake up early tomorrow too and grab some supplies for Makoto from the store."

"Do you know what we need?"

"Diapers and milk to start," Jaune mused some more, "Most important for now but once I get some more funds I can start getting new clothes and some picture books."

"How much lien will all of that cost?"

"Hopefully the cheapest brand will do for now. I'm looking to get bulk so I can keep the trips down to a minimum and maybe when I get some more I can even hire a nanny to keep an eye on her."

"That sounds like a pretty solid plan for now," Blake yawned before her eyes got droopy, "I think that's enough talking for now. We should get some rest."

"Smart idea," Jaune took off his armor and switched his shirt before laying down on the mattress, "Uh, you ok Blake?"

There was a bright red blush gracing her face as Blake got an eyeful of the toned body of the dorky blonde knight. Suffice to say, he was no longer a scrawny little twig that looked like he would be blown over by the wind. Now he was muscled and had some abs, his body type still developing but just enough to still be quite easy on the eyes.

Shaking her head and turning around to keep Makoto between the wall of the couch cushions and her body, Blake spoke a quick good night.

 _'Girls are weird.'_

With that last fleeting thought, Jaune passed out into a deep sleep.

=P=A=P=A=

Outside, back in the Emerald forest, all was quiet. The pale moonlight shone upon a clearing.

Marks of a battle pocketed the ground and while the former enemies had long since dispersed into the winds, there were still signs of their fellow brethren prowling and disturbing the ground, curious in their pursuit in trying to understand while this particular area smelled different.

The clearing was silent. Nothing remained but the moonlight.

Then, almost as if some unknown signal was sounded, the shadows came alive.

As if they had a life of their own, the darkness started to tremble and mutate before a shape started to flow into being. The shadows climbed and became solid, establishing into the size of a tall man. A helmet becomes real, horns twisted around the top as if in a mockery of a crown. The helm is a cross-visored thing that does little to truly hide the icy blue orbs that peer into the night sky. The body comes after, armor reminiscent of a knight of old and with plates as black as the darkness that formed it.

With one final minute, the being is whole.

If anyone had borne witness to such a phenomenon, there would be disbelief and questioning of sanity. The knight tilted its helm to the side, almost as trying to listen to his surroundings. With a deep rumbling that could be interpreted as words, the knight slowly runs a gauntlet through the ground.

Standing up and towering at his full height, the knight brings his hands together and cracks them.

The dead of the night is shattered by the ringing of steel joints.

Soon after, howling follows it.

The knight wordlessly draws a bastard sword with an ornate sapphire embedded into the cross guard. As the first of the Beowulfs burst from the bushes and surround him, the knight's orbs seem to gleam a brighter hue of blue as an aura of pure cold saturates the air. Effortlessly, he swings his weapon and cleaves a Beowulf in half, the creature trying to ambush him from behind.

" **Come.** "

The knight took another swing and-

=P=A=P=A=

"Guh!" Jaune choked out as he flew upwards from his sleeping position, "Dear Oum!"

"What! What is it?" Blake nearly shouted as she sprang up and held her Gambol Shroud ready.

A happy giggle was her answer.

Both teens looked downwards, one farther than the other, and was met with the beaming face of a baby. Makoto stood up on wobbly legs as she tried to keep her footing and hold her arms up towards Jaune's face, asking for once again some uppsy time with her papa.

"How did…when the…but she was," Blake stuttered out, glancing back and forth from her previous spot last night, "I didn't even feel her move."

"Yeah," Jaune grumbled as he rubbed his gut and hefted Makoto up who squealed with joy, "I think she snuck past both of us. Good thing we put the bed so close and she landed on me."

The two teenagers shared a glance before trying to decipher just how Makoto got past the both of them before shrugging and fawning over the aforementioned baby girl. Makoto herself was acting up a storm, giggling and seemingly vibrating in place as she explored the wonders of uppsy daisy with her new papa.

"Don't drop her!"

"I'll fall on my own blade before I let that happen!"

Later, after morning rituals like brushing teeth and washing faces were accomplished, Jaune whipped up a quick breakfast using a mini portable stove and some snacks Blake had procured for her stay. Chocolate covered chips and tuna fish sandwiches were a little unorthodox but Jaune was hungry and Blake could happily live off tuna so both teens had a good breakfast.

All in all, everything was good.

Until they remembered one important little detail.

"Wah!"

"Milk! I need milk!"

"Doesn't she need baby milk?!"

"I DON'T KNOW JUST GET ME MILK."

Let it never be said that even in the most extreme of cool or adaptive personalities, there is a breaking point or a catastrophic event that would result in a total and major freak out followed by meltdown.

In this particular case, a crying squirrel baby who was hungry but had no means of immediate nourishment from her caretakers.

"Wait! I just remembered!"

Jaune had just enough time to blink before realizing that Blake had disappeared and left him alone. For a brief second, he considered throwing a tantrum but stopped when he remembered that a sniffling baby was currently clutching his hoodie and trying to get his attention. While Jaune tried his best to decide on the best course of action, Blake came crashing back into the room and dropped a can of baby formula at his feet and a prepared bottle.

Makoto greedily started to eat while Jaune fed her. Questions dancing in his eyes, he opened his mouth before Blake beat him to the punch.

"There's one of the caretakers here at Beacon, a fairly nice lady, that recently came back from maternity leave. She brought her baby with her and she keeps a lot of her baby items in a locker in a staff room close by. I left her all the lien I had before taking the smallest can and the bottle."

Jaune exhaled as he hefted Makoto up and started to burp her. While he wasn't proud that they had to technically steal Makoto's first actual meal, it was better than letting her fuss and accidentally reveal herself. That and her cries, while soft at first, were gaining in volume and pitch and each time it felt like someone was trying to drive a spike into his forehead via high caliber sniper rifle.

It wasn't physical pain that was damning him, it was emotional.

No parent wishes to see their child in distress.

The baby girl let out a mighty belch before she started to squeak nonsensical noises at Jaune. Playing with her subconsciously, Jaune got ready and grabbed all his essential items before signaling Blake to follow. He waited while she secured the room before the two set off into the dawn.

"I guess we can't put this off for too long so let's head to Vale and buy everything we can now. I know a few twenty-four hour places we can try."

"Do we even have enough to buy everything right now?"

"I don't know but hopefully we can get enough for now and plan ahead later."

"All right, but if it comes down to it…I could-"

"No."

"Jaune?"

"We're not going to do anything illegal. I don't care, I don't want Makoto to be influenced like that. Even if she won't understand it right now, I never want to tell her that we had to do bad things for her. That and the risk is too high. Even if Beacon can bail us out, Ozpin and Goodwitch will be headhunting."

Blake seemed to worry her lip as the two approached the Bullhead transit station. Beacon had its own taxi service of sorts in the form of the flying airships. Students were given the privilege of having a free ride to and from Vale so long as they had their scrolls to access the panel. To ensure no one abused this commodity, rules were set in place and scrolls had tracker programs installed that told the Headmaster if anything unsavory happened and punishment was needed to be doled out.

No one forgot the time a first year team got into a fight with a second year team and ended up destroying the bullhead they were all in. While no one was expelled, they had their privilege revoked and one hundred community service hours forced upon them where they had to not only clean and repair bullheads but learn and rebuild the one they had destroyed. They couldn't leave Beacon grounds anymore until the bullhead they built was given a passing grade by the head mechanic who had a sadistic streak a mile long.

Suffice to say, people started to be more careful with how they treated their rides.

When their ride had arrived the pilot confirmed with them that they wanted to head to Vale, Jaune had to make sure Makoto was hidden away from the adult's view. In this case, the baby had crawled into his hoodie and snuggled against his chest. Blake did all the talking while he did his best not to let his face betray any strange emotions as the little girl squirmed around and inadvertently tickled him.

Jaune was immensely worried that his natural aversion to high heights would make the ride difficult but was pleasantly surprised that with the constant motion of Makoto against his bare chest, she distracted his usual stomach pains and allowed him to have a rather tame trip to Vale.

Who knew putting a playful baby against your chest was a remedy for air sickness? Then again, it was such an outlandish idea that no one would probably even want to attempt it regardless of the benefits.

When the two teenagers landed and departed for the store, Jaune let Makoto up for some air and passed her to Blake as he started to count his lien. Blake had given everything she had on herself to the mother while his usual allowance built up from some weeks of saving before Beacon had to be enough for a good haul.

Hopefully, it would get them enough supplies to last long enough for him to find a part-time job and get some more lien.

Walking a short distance, the unlikely trio stopped outside the store which was aptly named DustMart. The place itself had branches in every kingdom and was well known for catering to nearly every need of both civilians and hunters. From things like snack foods to tolietires to low grade dust crystals or bullets, DustMart was frequented by the smart shopper looking to save some cash.

It was here that Jaune, Blake, and a playful Makoto wandered into and tried to act as natural as possible.

Makoto was placed into a shopping cart that was pushed along by Jaune as Blake scanned the aisles and grabbed armfuls of baby items like wipes, diapers, baby formula. Between the two teens, the cart was filling up with a hefty assortment that Jaune was calculating to be just enough for their budget and still last them at least a few weeks before they needed another shopping run.

While Blake ran merry through the items with a calculator, Jaune busied himself by trying to keep Makoto occupied and more importantly sitting still. He did this by using various cartoony masks being offered on sale. Between X-ray, Vav, a Beowulf, Ozpin, James Ironwood, a kitty, and a silly clown one that had the eyes popping out, Jaune was going through his own armful of things as he continued to try and make Makoto laugh.

The baby in question was having the time of her life. Having mama and papa together as they entered this new place with all the new sights and smells, Makoto giggled at the antics put on display for her by her papa and stared with curiosity at all the things her mama was bringing and leaving in the basket behind her.

Suddenly, a heavenly scent wafted into Makoto's nose and the baby tilted her head and started to sniff. Almost as if the aroma was hypnotizing her, the baby soon lost interest in everything but the smell. Blake was just about done cleaning out the clearance bin while Jaune struggled to balance all the masks he had taken and now had to return. Between the two teens being distracted, no one noticed as Makoto slowly stood up out of the cart and reached for the nearby aisle.

She briefly struggled pulling herself up but the smell was too alluring and she kept going. Unknown to everyone involved, a dark presence simmered into existence underneath the baby and gently elevated the baby upwards. Makoto was set gently on the top shelf where she blinked and looked around, puzzled at her new sudden surroundings but invigorated by the reemergence of the smell.

The baby crawled forward and coiled herself around an open bag of soft melty peanut candy. Curious and feeling a slight tummy rumble, she gingerly picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth. As the taste spread, the little squirrel let out a hum of approval and started to snack earnestly.

Below, two teens both looked up from what they were doing and looked at an empty cart where there was supposed to be a baby. They both looked up, locked eyes, and examined each other for a whole two minutes.

"Jaune?"

"Yes Blake?"

"Did you take Makoto and forget her in the toy section?"

"Nope. Blake?"

"Yes Jaune?"

"Did you take Makoto and forget her on one of the shelves?"

"No I did not."

"I see."

Silence reigned for another minute.

"MAKOTO!"

Shoppers all over the store stopped and turned to find the source of the shout. Blake and Jaune both slapped hands over each other's mouths and communicated through panicked eyes. As Jaune agreed to cause a distraction by the front doors so Blake could sneak through the entire store and leave no stone unturned in her pursuit, a childish giggle reached both their ears and two pairs of eyes snapped upwards.

 _"Attention shoppers, we seem to have a lost child in the peanut candy. If the parents of a…squirrel faunus I think could please collect their child and pay for the candy, we won't need the Vale police to get involved."_

"Blake, grab her and run. I'll go set something on fire and dodge the police. We'll meet back at Beacon and you or me can double back later and get the stuff then."

"But-"

"Don't argue with me! We don't have time!"

"Whee!"

"GAH!"

"Aaah."

Jaune and Blake had both jumped and screamed in surprise while Makoto had tried to mimic them. Being young, her scream was more like a cheer. Both teens were shocked to realize that Makoto was no longer in a dangerous high shelf but had reappeared nestled in Jaune's hood. The baby had some sticky stains on her hands and mouth but was happily clapping and giggling.

"How did she get down here?!"

"Sh-she was still up there last we checked. How did she…when did she get down and into your hood without either of us noticing?"

Jaune's brain elected to file that information away for later when a freak out was more appropriate for the setting but just as he reached around to grab Makoto, familiar voices were heard rounding the corner.

"I'm telling you sis, I heard Blake scream over here!"

"Are you sure Ruby? Last I checked Blakey wanted to go to the library and just read."

"She didn't come home last night though. Aren't you a little worried?"

"Oh please, knowing her, Blake probably fell asleep with her face in a book."

"Nevertheless, we should go investigate the cause of the commotion and see what negligent parent let their child run wild like that."

Jaune was treated to the rare sight of seeing Blake Belladonna lose all color in her face and turn pasty white. Jaune himself probably wasn't faring better knowing just who's voices were coming closer. The picture the two painted was so ludicrous that it wouldn't be imagined by possibly anybody other than Nora after she would've chugged some coffee that had been loaded up with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

One Jaune Arc, one Blake Belladonna, one unknown faunus baby that recognized the two as mama and papa, and a cart full of baby supplies.

If the rest of Blake's team saw them like this…there would no way that they could keep their mouths shut or even guarantee Makoto's safety!

The mere thought of Makoto being in danger, physical or emotional otherwise, spurred him into action.

With reflexes that even Blake had trouble tracking, Jaune had slammed a bunny mask over his face and pulled up his hood, placed Makoto back into the cart after cleaning her hands and face, and pulled the cart around and facing away from the incoming voices.

"Hey, that is Blake! Blake! Over here!"

"Who's that guy next to her?"

"Probably some ruffian who got in over his head. She looks like she's going to attack him."

As the rest of team RWBY got closer, Jaune raised and deepened his voice.

"Thank you kindly for helping me retrieve my daughter. She just doesn't like to sit still and sure loves her peanut flavor. Well, I better go pay the workers up front before they call the cops and they tackle me to the ground. Have a nice day!"

Jaune started to walk away with the cart, making sure to keep his eyes pointed forward. Blake herself caught on and waved goodbye before turning back to her team.

All in all, it should have been a perfect get away.

But alas, in true Arc luck, things didn't work out.

"Mama!"

Jaune nearly choked.

"Mama! No go!"

Blake was frozen stiff, unable to do anything in fear of exposing them.

"Ohmygosh Blake do you hear that! That little baby thinks you're her mommy!"

"Oooh, I wanna see her. Hey mister! Can you come back here?"

Jaune stared down at Makoto who was pouting up at him. He knew if he turned around, he would risk his identity and Makoto's safety. What was worse, she looked like she was gonna cry if he didn't do what she wanted. Jaune grounded his teeth together before he huffed and decided he needed to man up and lay down the law.

"That's not your mama," Jaune said as he picked up a pacifier and stuck it into her mouth, "Your mama's back home waiting for us to come back! Now be a good little girl and stop being pouty and daddy will see about getting you a jar of peanut butter."

Quickening his pace and trying his best to look to the world that he wasn't trying to run away with his tail between his legs, Jaune Arc made record time to the cash out line. The cashier was an elderly, balding, gray-haired man with wrinkles under his eyes and over his brow. He was wearing a green shirt with a red apron and gray pants with the DustMart logo emblazoned on the apron.

Between the two males (Jaune decided that he was going to slow and started helping him scan things) the checkout process sped along and the total came up on display. Makoto, who was sucking on her pacifier with a teary look, became enraptured by the periodic beeps with each item scan. Jaune himself paused in the middle of taking out all the lien that Blake had thankfully passed to him, looking at the amount he owed.

"Uh…isn't that…a bit low?"

"Ah. Ah."

Both adults looked down to see Makoto out of her seat once more, shaking a candy bar over the scanner. The machine started to beep multiple times, each sound pleasing the baby as she continued to play.

The old man hmphed, his seemingly closed eyes just moved from the baby on his checkout station to Jaune.

"I got a soft spot for young fools seeing as I used to be one of you. I know how hard it is to raise a kid, especially by yourself. Now I don't ask questions like why you're wearing a mask or why you're alone with a baby that's a faunus, I just want to know."

The old man smiled and gestured to the rack.

"Paper or plastic?"

=P=A=P=A=

Chaos and Order surround me.

On one side, a bubbling cauldron of unknown substance. Flasks, beakers, bottles, and many odd ingredients are haphazardly thrown around a table or litter a floor. The other side, a single bench and ammo press, the rhythmic _click – thud_ as each bullet was pressed into an ornate shell.

 ** _"Where're our friends?"_**

 ** _"…"_**

 ** _"Yes, you're probably right. Knowing them they're going crazy right now."_**

 ** _"…"_**

 ** _"Wait, what you say?"_**

The conversation is like night and day. Darkness shrouds the speakers but their work is illuminated and the sounds give away their position.

 ** _"Huh, didn't expect to see that happen so soon."_**

 ** _"…"_**

 ** _"Yeah, we should probably get going too then. Been awhile since I've seen home."_**

I feel both staring at me. Eyes of an owl and skull.

 ** _"I warn you now, you don't wanna touch any of this. It'll melt your skin at best, mutate you at worse. Don't wait up!"_**

 ** _"…"_**

I feel the two leave, alone in this workshop of horrors.


	5. Chapter 5

Jaune exited DustMart with a duffel bag busting at the seams with baby supplies. The old man had taken the liberty of shoving extra items into his cart when he wasn't looking, free of charge. Makoto had turned giddy and started to fiddle with all the new shiny things before Jaune had to sadly put a stop to it all by placing her into his duffel. So here he was, carrying three bags and needing a distraction to not call attention to the contents of the bags.

Getting back to Beacon was easier than leaving it. Despite losing an extra pair of hands, Jaune managed to concoct a scheme worthy of any super villain that involved an air horn, some string, a funnel, firecrackers, and a squirrel.

Technically the squirrel was unnecessary, but it took way too long to capture, and Makoto was having fun playing with it, so he bought it along anyways. The fact that in the process of incorporating the squirrel into his mad scientist inspired distraction, said animal gave him a flat look that roughly translated to are you seriously doing this human, Jaune reevaluated his ill-conceived plan and simply went ahead without including the same furry critter.

In the end, the Bullhead pilot was none the wiser when Jaune Arc, student of Beacon, collapsed into his seat while hugging a duffel bag full of baby supplies and squirrel baby. Outside, his distraction had provided ample time for him to simply toss everything inside before the pilot could see that he had a lot of new things, let alone question why he had enough bags to start wearing as outfits.

Seated next to him, the squirrel critter chittered away, working away at some nuts Jaune had stashed as a snack. When the bullhead landed, both Jaune and animal sprinted off, one towards a garbage can, the other towards the trees.

The blonde teenager managed to avoid emptying everything after landing before rushing off back to the hidden room that Blake and he had established as their base the night before.

"Why am I not surprised," Jaune's said with a muffled voice, "I should really come to expect these things from you."

Jaune had been muttering soft words to Makoto the entire trip. Whether she heard him was hard to tell but the baby had remained thankfully complacent. Still, Makoto had some mystery around her that made her special. She wasn't just a normal baby by all accounts.

Like for example.

After opening the duffel to let Makoto out, the baby had launched upwards and wrapped around his face like a limpet. Having seven sisters, Jaune was no stranger to having his air circulation cut off via female hugging but having an excited little girl squeeze her entire body around his entire head was a new experience. Still, the sheer fact that this little human had somehow propelled herself upwards at a height of five feet at the equivalent of a speeding truck, he was a bit confused.

At least it had the added benefit of tickling her and Makoto's giggles were like balm for the soul, so he didn't mind it as much.

Too bad his body and his brain needed oxygen and self-preservation kicked in.

Vision blocked and fumbling around, Jaune was unaware as a dark tendril shot out from the duffel bag, tapped the same sequence as Blake had done before, and receded back into the duffel. Jaune had just managed to get Makoto to let go and settle down when he heard the door open.

"…Blake is that you?"

No answer.

Teenager and baby both stared at the open doorway, one wary the other happy. Jaune tried to ponder on how the door opened but most of his answers were far fetched or proven wrong when Blake didn't show herself. Granted, he could have just simply gotten stupid lucky and knocked the correct code in by accident. With all the bad luck and close calls, he was bound for some good luck, right?

*Rumble*

Jaune blinked. He held Makoto at arm's length and stared at her. She only smiled back at him. He looked down at his stomach.

*Rumble*

"#$%&^%!" An unearthly sound rumbled from his organs.

"Hmm," The blonde mused, "It appears I am hungry. I probably should get something to eat, but then again…"

"#$%&^%!" His stomach argued passionately, causing him to grin lightly.

"Your counter argument is both compelling and persuasive. You would make a fine politician if you were able to bribe people," Jaune nodded in acknowledgement. "Very well. I succeed to your requests. Let me just set up Makoto really quick and we can go."

Despite her earlier calm demeanor, the moment Jaune entered their little secret hidey hole is when Makoto got thrilled again. The animated faunus baby was as excited as could be as she was placed on the floor. Jaune set about immediately taking things out of the bag that Blake and the old man had picked out and started to organize and build some of them.

The crib was an easy and cheap thing, something that looked easily escapable by most determined babies but did its purpose of having some place for Makoto to play in that wasn't the floor or a cardboard box while also still being sturdy enough that there wasn't any real danger for her to sit or sleep in it.

Next came the clothes and blankets. Jaune's eyebrows shot up as he started to pull out a colorful assortment of outfits like dresses, jumpsuits, bathing suits, animal costumes, and even accessories like headbands, ribbons, etc. Not to mention all the toys and even some coloring books.

"How…did she afford all this? I could have sworn I only gave her enough for milk and diapers."

The items in question were on the bottom, two boxes of bulk formula and nappies for a baby.

"Well, at least she didn't get too carried away. And the old man helped out a lot too. Now that I think about it, how much of this stuff was given to me?"

Jaune looked over to Makoto in her crib, happily clapping her hands and giggling while surrounded by her new toys. If Jaune didn't know better, he could see literal red hearts floating around her head as her eyes were filled with shiny fascination.

"…I need to go punch a wall or headbutt something soon," Jaune said with internal horror, "Any more cuteness overload and I might just never want to leave and live here forever."

Still, with Makoto distracted like this, he could slip off and go get something to eat quickly and rush back. Hopefully he wouldn't get blindsided by anyone and end up taking more time than necessary. He also had the added benefit of a handy dandy short range baby monitor that could be linked to scrolls. He was pretty sure this inconspicuous machine brick was worth more than the combined value of seventy percent of his baby supplies.

Still, no sense in wasting a good gift.

So, it was as Jaune patted himself down and checked and double checked that he had his important trinity (wallet, scroll, sword) that he didn't notice a tendril of darkness slither out from the bag and lazily weave itself into his shadow. As Jaune finished his preparations and made sure Makoto was still having the time of her life, he slowly started to inch towards the door, intent on channeling his inner Ruby and speed to the cafeteria and back.

Or maybe just a vending machine. He saw one on his way here that was selling some candy bars. Maybe he could try his hand again at some chocolate fondue…?

ERK!

That plan lasted all of five seconds when as soon as he stepped past the doorway, Makoto started to wail.

Nearly destroying the crib as he tripped over everything in his mad dash to get to her, he panted as he picked her up and started to rock her.

"What's the matter? Hungry? Tired? …Need a change?"

Makoto only looked back at him with teary eyes and red cheeks. She wasn't as loud as before but this being the first time she'd cried since he found her in the forest, Jaune was a more than besides himself trying to figure out her distress. He had picked her up, wiping her face with a wet napkin, cooing and making soothing noises as he ran a quick gentle assessment over Makoto. The baby slowly settled down into a blank face and dry eyes but Jaune was still unable to identify her distress.

"~ ** _Don't…leave~"_**

Jaune blinked once, twice, then calmly put Makoto back down into the crib. Instead of going for her new things like the first time, she instead seemed to lock eyes with him and hold his gaze. Jaune took a single step back at time, watching Makoto as he did so. Eventually when he reached the doorway and started to step past it, Makoto let out a whimper.

Jaune froze, and immediately stomped his foot back down inside.

Makoto turned silent but continued to watch him like a hawk.

Slowly, he started to put his foot back and forth over the threshold, testing the limit as Makoto made a cacophony of noise.

"…Guess I'm not eating. Not if I can't take you along."

Jaune sighed, sitting on the couch while rocking the silent Makoto. It was jarring to say the least, this being the first time ever that he dealt with her being all quiet and slightly mopey. The teenager could only give a shaky smile, trying to reassure the baby that he wasn't going to just abandon her like her previous caretakers.

"#$%&^%!"

Jaune didn't stop rocking but he did close his eyes and count to ten.

"#$%&^%!"

"Yes, I understand. No, I can't deal with this right now, I have to- don't you take that tone of voice with me."

Makoto slowly started to giggle as she watched her new papa argue with seemingly nothing.

"Look, I promise I'll get some of that delicious sandwiches the cafeteria makes but only after I make sure Makoto isn't going to cry herself red."

"Why is she crying?!"

"Gah!"

Jaune nearly pitched forward and acquainted the floor with his face. He managed to catch himself just in time and turn around to see a panting Blake staring at him with her eyes narrowed into slits and a terrifying aura encompassing around her. For some reason, her hair was waving around like it was underwater but Jaune was a little too terrified to really think about that.

"Blake! When, what, who, where, how?!"

"I got back as fast as I could. Somebody made some strange contraption that was making a lot of noise, so the Bullheads got delayed. Now why is Makoto crying?"

"Oh, um, I think I found her rule of 15."

"…What?"

Jaune placed Makoto onto his lap and adopted a pose that looked like he was trying to give a lecture. It involved sitting straight up, occupying one hand with a meaningless prop, and using the other to perform calculated gestures.

"The rule of 15 is basically what my mom coined as a baby's attachment or field of vision. Once a baby starts to move around on their own, it is the parent or caretaker's job to ensure that no matter where they go, they remain within a certain distance or else the kid becomes distressed because they lose perception and start to cry. On average, this is usually about 15 feet. Makoto here follows this same exact rule. If I get to far away, then she'll start crying."

"That sounds…strange."

Shrugging his shoulders, Jaune started to stroke Makoto's head while he tossed the doll he was using away, "Hey, that's what my mom told me. And I don't think my mom would lie to me…about this at least."

Blake walked over, terrifying visage gone and replaced with her normal look. The cat faunus looked like she had better days, but the smile she had on her face was unmistakable as she reached out for Makoto.

Which made what happened next even more jarring.

Just as Blake's hands nearly touched Makoto, the baby let out a piercing wail. Blake backed off in shock while Jaune nearly jumped in surprise. Makoto turned around and buried her face into Jaune's gut. Both teens looked down at the little squirrel faunus, her twitchy ears and bushy tail telling a story of being closed off.

"Makoto? It's me, your mama Blake."

"Nu!" Makoto yelled out as she tried to snuggle into Jaune's stomach, "Nu mama!"

Blake gasped and turned ghostly white, looking as if stabbing her would be less painful then hearing those worlds. Jaune stared with worry at both, alternating his gaze between baby and friend.

"M-Makoto?"

The baby didn't respond.

Tears pricked at the corner of Blake's eyes, her emotions turning erratic. Being rejected like this by a baby she just met shouldn't have hurt this badly, but it did. And she couldn't even explain herself this time, the angry one in this situation was probably too young to even understand. The cat faunus could only look to Jaune, a pleading looks in her eyes and questions dancing around in her head.

Jaune for his part was getting tired of having to deal with weepy girls. Oh, sure he had plenty of experience growing up with seven sisters but that didn't mean he wanted to have to deal with them on a daily basis or even when the situation was something like this! Still, not all was lost. He was familiar with this problem and he knew the solution.

"Blake," She looked at him and he winced at her sad look, "Sometimes, you just have to show them you're sorry. I think she's sulking because she really liked you. So maybe…if you shower her with some affection so she can feel reassured, then everything will be all right."

"But she won't even let me get close."

"Don't worry, I'll hold her for now. Just come closer and sit down next to me."

Blake hesitated at his words, unsure if he understood what exactly he was asking her to do. But then she looked at his gentle smile and calm demeanor and felt that he wouldn't be that kind of friend or even that kind of guy to try something shady like that with her.

And if he did turn out to be like that, well, she didn't grow up in the White Fang without picking up a few tricks that dissuades people from that kind of thinking.

So, Blake calmly sat down and both male and female looked down at his lap. Makoto by now had stopped struggling but was still facing away from the two. With one last nervous look, Blake gently laid her hand on Makoto's back and started to run circles.

"I'm sorry for running away Makoto. But I promise you, I will never leave you without a good reason. I do what I do because I care about you."

The baby slowly turned to look at her. Even though it was hard to tell if her words really had any effect, Makoto ultimately made it clear that she forgave Blake when she broke out one of her cutest smiles and crawled over and nestled into Blake's arms.

"Thank you, Makoto," Blake said with a relieved sigh, "I'm so glad that you think of me as your mama."

"#$%&^%!"

Gambol Shroud was drawn, and Blake looked around in alarm.

"What was that?"

Jaune could only sheepishly look down.


End file.
